N.J. Admin. Code § 10:52-1.10

Current through Register Vol. 56, No. 19, October 7, 2024

Section 10:52-1.10 - Prior authorization

(a) Prior authorization shall be required for certain dental procedures (see N.J.A.C. 10:56, Dental Services) and partial hospitalization provided in the outpatient department of an acute care hospital beyond exempt time frames (see 10:52-2.10(d) and (e)) .

(b) Other services require adherence to special procedures, such as the requirements of the Second Opinion Program, before certain elective surgical procedures are performed. Specific services are described in the "Policies and Procedures for Providing Specific Services" in N.J.A.C. 10:52-2. Hospital entitlement to Medicaid/NJ FamilyCare reimbursement is subject to providing these services in accordance with the policies and procedures as outlined in N.J.A.C. 10:52-2. For general information about prior and retroactive authorization, see N.J.A.C. 10:49-6.1, Administration.

(c) For out-of-State services, see 42 CFR 431.52. Prior authorization as outlined in (d) below shall be required for inpatient and outpatient hospital services provided to a beneficiary outside the State of New Jersey, except as provided in (e) below. Hospital covered services for a beneficiary with an Eligibility Identification Number with the 1st and 2nd digits of 90 or the 3rd and 4th digits of 60, residing out-of-State at the discretion of the New Jersey Department of Human Services, shall not require prior authorization. However, any covered service that requires prior authorization as a prerequisite for payment to New Jersey Medicaid/NJ FamilyCare providers also requires prior authorization if it is to be reimbursed by the Division in any other state, except that prior authorization is not required for emergency and interstate transfers.

(d) A request for authorization for reimbursement for out-of-State services shall be directed to the Medical Assistance Customer Center (MACC) in the area where the beneficiary resides except as listed in (d)1 below. For a listing of MACCs, see the Directory at N.J.A.C. 10:49, Appendix, Form 13 or online at: http://www.state.nj.us/humanservices/dmahs/info/resources/macc/index.html.

1. Requests for prior authorization of out-of-State psychiatric services shall be directed to the Division of Medical Assistance and Health Services, Mental Health Unit, Office of Utilization Management, PO Box 712, Mail Code #18, Trenton, NJ 08625-0712.

i. For beneficiaries under age 18 and those individuals who are over the age of 18 and under the age of 21 who were receiving mental/behavioral health services through the Department of Children and Families (DCF) and/or the DCF Children's System of Care prior to their 18th birthday, requests for prior authorization of out -of-State psychiatric services shall be coordinated by the Care Management Organization (CMO) or other authorized entity coordinating the beneficiary's mental/behavioral health services and shall be directed by that entity to the DCF Contracted Systems Administrator (CSA). As part of the coordination of inpatient out-of-State psychiatric hospital services for these beneficiaries, the CMO and/or CSA shall direct requests for prior authorization for these services to the DMAHS in accordance with (d)1 above.

2. For a beneficiary who resides in New Jersey in other than a hospital and who is to be admitted or referred to an out-of-State hospital for elective inpatient or outpatient services, the physician planning such action shall sign a statement that the medically necessary service is not available at a reasonable distance within the State of New Jersey; and

3. For a beneficiary who is traveling outside New Jersey and who is to be admitted to an out-of-State hospital for elective surgery, the attending physician shall justify by a signed statement that an attempt to return to a New Jersey hospital would create a significant risk to life or health or would create the need for an unreasonable amount of travel for the beneficiary.

4. The Division shall notify, in writing, the physician making the request.

i. If authorized, the authorization letter of the Medical Consultant of the Division shall be forwarded to the requesting physician. When arranging for hospital admission, the physician shall forward a copy of the authorization letter to the hospital. When submitting the claim for services to the fiscal agent, the hospital shall attach the authorization letter, or a copy of the letter, to the claim.

(e) Prior authorization shall not be required for emergencies nor for interstate hospital transfers. However, in these instances, the hospital shall attach the attending physician's signed statement to the claim, attesting to the nature of the emergency or, for a hospital interstate transfer, attesting to the unavailability of the medically necessary service within a reasonable distance within the State of New Jersey.

(f) For Medicaid/NJ FamilyCare beneficiaries who have the diagnosis of Head Injury, for whom it is medically necessary to discharge the beneficiary from a hospital or special hospital to a special care nursing facility (SCNF), or to home care through enrollment into Managed Long-Term Supports and Services (MLTSS) under the New Jersey 1115 Comprehensive Medicaid Waiver (the Comprehensive Waiver), the hospital discharge planner or social worker shall obtain prior authorization for the placement (for either inState or out-of-State patients) from the Medicaid/NJ FamilyCare MCO for enrollment into MLTSS. For information on MLTSS, see N.J.A.C. 10:60.

N.J. Admin. Code § 10:52-1.10

Amended by 50 N.J.R. 1261(a), effective 5/21/2018